Tuesday and Thursday mornings, If I get the wish of my heart,There are two little guys that I get to talk to,Hold and enjoy.

Big Brother helps to feed the birds every chance he gets.What fun it is to push the slide that lets the food into the “sock.”

He also knows where the different kinds of Bird food are kept.He helps to put out thistle seed, corn, sunflower seeds, peanuts and woodpecker blocks and suet.He knows the different scoops that I use for each oneand is very concerned that we do things right.

(Sometimes when there are flowers to water, he helps do that. But lately it has been too big a temptation to turn the hose on Aunt Mary, and that is funny for a while because she makes strange noises and moves around quite quickly … then it is very sad because she takes the hose away and isn’t quite as happy as he is accustomed to having her be. Oh, well. There are other things to do!)

Little Brother’s antics light up our lives. He has a million watt smile that can soften the hardest heart.He hasn’t been walking very long and is a bit tottery on his feet, but is still able to get around pretty well.He likes to be outside and “help” whenever he can.He is cuddly and funny and so sweet.

“After working so hard in the chilly outdoors, it is so nice to curl up on a big, big chair with my brother and watch “Chicken Run” until it gets too boring. Then the two of us are off on some other adventure. Before you know it, it will be lunch time and then it will be time to go to Auntie Chris’s house and take our naps.” (Actually, before any of us are ready, it will be time for Kindergarden and two wheel bikes and basketball and a driver’s license.)

Youngest Daughter turned sixteen this morning at 8:05. She was born after my shortest, easiest and most tension free labor. She was our biggest baby, weighing in at 10 pounds, 6 1/2 ounces. Dr. Han looked down at her on my tummy, all new-born and laughed out loud. “Look at that fat baby!” He exclaimed. I cradled my arms around her and thanked God for this precious gift. We all thought that she was beautiful. Her big brothers and sisters all competed for her attention, and the older children at church would tote her around. She seemed to belong to everyone. She would dance with J.R. and he would ask her how her hair looked. “Gor -jus!” she would prattle, to his delight. (While it stuck up in a hundred directions.) Her big brother’s friend, Matt, called her “Blueberry eyes” and the name stuck. (That’s her Xanga name.) Her future brother in law, then only 12, would carry her around and show her the world. We were so thankful for this baby girl. Sixteen months earlier, our family had lost a baby when I had a ruptured appendix and Rachel was much prayed for, and greatly welcomed. She didn’t like to smile when we wanted her to. This is a picture of the five of them, taken when she was around ten months old, I think.She was a pretty somber girlie this particular day.

There were no school pictures during those days, because we were homeschooling. So when I would run into Wal-mart for picture days, we’d take our little one along and get pictures of her, too

And then there was the year when we got our family Christmas pictures taken at Olan Mills — I have to laugh at our children and their fresh, young faces.

And she kept growing, getting more and more talkative and beautiful

These two pictures come from one of my favorite pictures shoots. Probably from Wal-mart, but maybe from the old Roses Store in Milford. I love these two pictures

And now she is so grown up. I love the person she is becoming, even while realizing that she needs guidance for some time yet. This picture was taken this past summer when she and Middle Daughter made their trek to New York City for an expedition.

A few weeks ago, she passed her Driver’s Ed course, and so we are about to embark on the world of our last child driving! I feel older already.

My Rachel-Girl, I am so glad that you belong to us. I don’t know what God is going to have for you to do, but I do know that this world needs more hearts like yours, more strong and healthy young women who aren’t afraid of hard work or getting dirty if the need is there. I pray that you will be able to trace God’s finger in your life through the good days, yes, but also through the dark and uncertain times when it feels like the world isn’t a friendly place. You know what? It isn’t. But you have chosen to trust your Heavenly Father, and He will never leave you nor forsake you. I know this to be true, and I will always love you, and “as long as His mercy permits me to live, I shall never cease praying for you!”

I was sitting at my dining room table on Friday afternoon, enjoying the chimes. A pretty good wind had blown in, and there were some warnings about gusts up to 40 m.p.h. That made my chimes really bong about, and it sounded so good.

Suddenly I thought about the fact that that wind would probably blow my flower boxes off my deck railing. Especially those to the NorthEast and the SouthWest. So I was just about to go out there and take them down when I heard a Ka-plunk sounding sort of noise in a rather forceful sort of way. I looked out and three boxes were already down. So I betook myself out there to get the others down quickly before more of them succumbed to the elements.

I did pretty well at taking down the remaining six or seven side boxes until the last one, full of water from our day of rain, trailed a long. cold stream of water down my leg. Then I had to go to the bathroom. Urgently.

I thought about those three boxes that were still down, and thought that I would come right back out and try to put them back together after I attended to the matter at hand.

Well. The phone rang. The ladies came home. Youngest Daughter came home from school. And there was one thing and then another and finally, it was dark, and I still hadn’t gotten my flower boxes picked up. So I trotted out there and picked up the worst of them, and carefully tried to put it back together. I kept thinking, “It is almost time for a good frost, and all of these will be history. Why am I trying so hard?” But I couldn’t get past the thought that maybe it wouldn’t frost hard for a few more weeks, and these begonias are so pretty yet, so I got the first box back together.

Then I thought that maybe I should take a few pictures of my poor, on the deck and on the ground flowers. So I did, and here they are!

But I did get them all picked up and put back together for the time being. I will need at least one new box next year, but the box the suffered the worst damage is one of my oldest ones, so it doesn’t really owe me anything.

And now, watch that killer frost move in tonight. We’ve had hard frost, but my flowers haven’t been touched. The trees and the deck and house seemed to have protected them. I am glad to enjoy them for a few more days.

First of all, I want to thank all of you for the many great wishes for my birthday. It was a really special day, beginning when I first came downstairs in the morning. Both Middle Daughter and Youngest Daughter were hanging around with that air of expectancy. (Oh, Great! What are my poor, unobservant eyes supposed to see that I’m not seeing?) I looked around carefully whilst they snickered, and finally decided that I should just go and get my ladies up. Says Middle Daughter, “Mom, I think you should just go about your morning routine the way you always do, and you will see.” So I began by opening the vertical blinds that cover the sliding glass door. And there it was! Certain Man’s birthday present to me—

These wind chimes were some that I had admired in New York a few weeks ago. I especially loved them because they sound like Westminster Chimes. In fact, their name is “Church Bells”. Certain Man had made contact with his sister who had purchased them and brought them to Ohio a few weeks ago when Certain Man’s Aunt passed away. He brought them home on the airplane, and they were stored at Eldest Daughter and Beloved Son in Law’s house. I am enjoying them immensely. He could not have pleased me more. I love wind chimes.

Brown sugar cookies with maple frosting (I could do without these, but do I want to?)

Classical Christmas music (Yes, well. It is the 20th of October. I’m not ready for “Jingle Bells” yet, but I do love Handel and Bach and Vivaldi and Pacheibel and Tchaikovsky. I feel carried by the majesty and fullness and sweeping music that fills my world.)

Our Church (These people who gather together to weather the storms of life, celebrate the good things of living, mourn the hard things as well, laugh, cry and pray together.)

My Family (I’ve been so blessed with the husband I’ve been given, the parents I was given to, the children that have come to bless our lives, the ladies that share our home, my brothers and sisters and their families.)

Our Audrey Girl had Carpal Tunnel Surgery on Wednesday Morning. In the evening, I took Youngest Daughter to Drivers’ Ed and shopped for some things for the Pollard/Miller wedding. Delivered it to someone who took it to somewhere and someone picked it up there, and took it to Pennsylvania. So it would be there before the last minute for the wedding. What a blessing the people of God are!

Wednesday evening, while shopping, we got word that our friends, Marty and Dianne Wenger were coming for the night on Thursday evening. They hoped to see some people from church. There was a church cleaning planned for Thursday night, but we decided to have a simple supper and invite some people who knew their family for supper. After which, Certain Man, Youngest Daughter and maybe Middle Daughter would go forth to the cleaning at the church basement.

Thursday Morning was usual Bible Study. The children behaved very well. The babysitters did a splendid job. The Ladies participated and contributed and the time was sweet. And when they left, Certain Man’s Wife galvanized into action to make the supper.

Marty and Diane and six of their seven children (+ the dog) arrived before one o’clock, and it was so good to see their faces, to hug Diane, to talk of our journeys since we saw eachother, and catch up. Diane peeled the apples for apple dumplings, we finished up the soup, and along about 5:30, Gokum and her husband and GrammaDottie and her husband showed up, and we had a simple supper of Chicken Corn Noodle Soup, Cottage Cheese Salad, Sweet Muffins, and Apple Dumplings. After supper, Gokum and her husband, Certain Man and Youngest Daughter left for church, and shortly thereafter, Middle Daughter was called upon to take something to Church that was needed there. “Can I take the van?” She queried. I thought about that and decided there was no reason why not. Ah, Woe is me. She left for church, and our company hung around for a while. About 8:30, after everyone had gone and Diane and I were cleaning up, it suddenly dawned on my fur brain that I needed Audrey’s meds before bedtime. (This is why I use Happy Harry’s who stay open on weeknights until 9:00– I often forget until late that I need something!). But then I didn’t have a vehicle. Except for the car that Middle Daughter drives which belongs to Youngest Brother and has a bad reputation for letting poor uninformed women quite stranded. If there were time, there would be a CMW story concerning the adventure to the drugstore in said car. For pity sakes, and oh, dear me! What a trip! But I finally got home again, in one piece but considerable more worn down than I had been when I left.

Some Scenes from Friday Morning

Clara Shivers!

Two handsome Wenger Boys — Corin and Kirdan

Getting loaded to leave — this is a full flivver!

Friday morning, we made breakfast for our company, and at 9:40 we got them off, and then soon after 9:45, Certain Man and I went to pick up my Sweet Mama for a trip to Baltimore for a six month check-up with her thoracic surgeon. We had some adventures finding the hospital since he is practicing out of a different hospital, bt we finally found the place, and saw the doctor (and everything is great!) then came home again, flew to Georgetow to pick up Middle Daughter’s (finally!) repaired car. We needed to get tags and registration (inspection was already done) so we picked up the papers, flew to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles — and got turned down at 4:24 because of a technicality. (Certain Man was not happy!) Came home again, and left shortly afterwards to go to Youngest Sister’s house for supper.

their son, Mike, his pretty, pregnant wife, Heather, their two splendid children, Lauren and Jadon,

Lauren plays!

with my Sweet Mama, sat around the table with Alma, Jerrel and Gabriel and had the best supper I’ve had in a long time.

Rose and her grandbabies, Jadon and Lauren

Nel with the same two little ones. How very much they light up our lives!

This morning, then, it was up to give showers to Blind Linda and Audrey-girl. Then we gathered up Beloved Son in law and Eldest Daughter

as well as Youngest Daughter

and sped to Greenwood where we picked up

my Sweet Mama,

and headed to Pennsylvania for the wedding of Jeremy Miller and Renee Pollard.

This was a grand event,

and we saw so many friends, visited with people we hadn’t seen in a long time, and witnessed a beautiful wedding. We had good food, and good fellowship and good admonition. When the afternoon was well spent, we piled back into the car, made a quick side trip to Good’s Store which we found closed, then headed for home. We pulled into the driveway at Shady Acres at about 8:30 to smell brown sugar cookies baking, and a house that was quiet and orderly. Middle Daughter had kept the home fires going, and it was warm and inviting.

So that is why there has been very little updating going on around this house in the last few days. This morning I had pretty much determined to take a fast from the computer. It still doesn’t sound like a bad idea. –but I wanted to post some of these pictures, and I wanted to tell you about this incredibly interesting and most demanding week — I also wanted to tell you of the blessings of our Heavenly Father.

Good News from Baltimore about Mama’s Health

Successful Surgery for Audrey

A basement at Church that is basically finished

Good friends who came to share supper with us and our visiting friends

Good fellowship, great times catching up with Marty and Diane

A way for Wedding things to get to PA without any last minute scramble

A new Home established where the Name of Jesus will be lifted up

And last, but not least, Certain Man — who took off work on Friday to drive us to Baltimore and back again, and drove every mile to Lancaster and back today. I’m thankful for his good driving, and for the protection of the Lord over us.